January 31, 2013

I’ve always been a fan of horror cinema, specifically the more surreal compositions. No one seems to do surreal horror quite like our Italian auteurs. There’s an amazing variety of bizarre films to choose from, and without any doubt the triumphant king of Italian mayhem is Dario Argento. My novel The Argento is a love letter to him.

Although there are clever nods to the master’s films (Suspiria, specifically), The Argento is a wholly original nightmare. Woven in a modern setting, and anchored by a contemporary “damsel in distress.” My goal was to create a relentless decent into hardcore horror. Once it gets going it doesn’t let up! I love to conjure deeply disturbing scenes while granting them an air of the fantastic, flares of fright and fantasy intertwined. And I tried to infuse it all with a distinct 70’s or early 80’s horror vibe. This is an old fashioned hell ride, but with modern little twists.